


A different thing

by Aliawrites



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-02-28 18:25:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2742533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aliawrites/pseuds/Aliawrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SPOILER for Skinny Dipper.</p><p>There was a difference. To some, it may be just semantics, but to him, it was more. It was a different thing altogether.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

SPOILER FOR SKINNY DIPPER!!!

 

He'd been a soldier. He'd been in war - several wars... Too many. As a soldier, he had taken lives, of course he had, but when Adam had asked him if he'd ever murdered anyone during the Jack the Ripper case, he'd honestly answered that he hadn't, and had no desire to ever do so.

He'd taken lives in war, and he'd never committed murder. To some these were mutually exclusive statements, but to a soldier, they could be two very different things. He hadn't killed many, even during the wars he'd served in before Abe entered his life. He always served primarily as a doctor. But it had happened. Every one weighed on his heart to this day. He spoke from experience when he counciled Jo after she'd been forced to kill a suspect who would have killed her.

Killing in self defense, or in defense of another, or even in war, though it took a toll on your soul (and should, he still believed), was a very different thing from what had happened this evening.

He'd been fooled into killing a man. He was defending himself, and Abe, but could he have stopped him without killing him? If he'd known the man was mortal, would he have plunged the weapon into his heart? The man was a murderer and no great loss to the world, but that was not reason enough to murder him.

Was it self defense? Seconds before he feared that Abe had already been murdered, and he had little doubt that if he'd killed Henry or got loose, he'd have killed Abe in a heartbeat.

He'd wrestle with these feelings forever, but he still had Abe. Abe who had been born of war and had served, himself, as a soldier. If there was any human on earth who could understand what he was feeling without judging him, it was Abe. His son loved him, trusted him, understood like no one else could - and would give him space when he'd need it, an ear when he'd need it, a hug when he'd need it, and understanding. Always understanding.

Had he done something he'd never done before tonight? Tricked into it or not by Adam, had he murdered a man? Had he defended his son?

Whatever it was it was not a feeling that sat comfortably in his heart.


	2. What's Right

"Stop it."

Finally, around 10 PM the last of the cops and crime scene techs had vacated the shop and their home. Abe had settled Henry on the sofa with a cup of tea and had double checked all the locks as well as their secret hiding spots for pictures and other secret information to make sure no one had accidentally found anything they didn't want found. Once he'd been sure that all was well with their home, Abe had returned to see how things were with his father. 

Based on the look on Henry's face, he was not doing well at all and was brooding about what had happened. Abe had vague recollections from his childhood of his father occasionally decending into melancholic moods, the look on his face very similar to what he was seeing now. Back then, his mother had always steered him into quiet activities to not disturb his father. He was no fool, he knew Henry had been thinking about his time in the war back then and tonight would be thinking about the man he'd killed - regardless of the fact that he'd been a psychotic killer. He had also seen Henry's reaction to the phone call he'd received. 

He wasn't a child any more though and had lived through his own war since, and he had a duty, and every right to stand up to Henry and steer him away from these kinds of thoughts now.

"Stop it," he said again louder, resulting in Henry at least looking up at him.

"Stop what?"

"You know what," Abe said, sitting down next to him, deliberately brushing shoulders. "You're brooding. Stop it."

"Abe," Henry sighed. "I just murdered a man in my laboratory. I think I'm alowed to 'brood' a little about that."

"Bullshit."

"Abraham! You..."

"No," Abe said angrily, standing and turning to face Henry directly. "I won't sit here and listen to you speak such utter nonsense."

"Abe, I..."

"Killed a psychotic murderer who broke into our home. A psychotic murderer who would have killed you and I and anyone who got in his way. You did the world a favour."

"Look, I know it wasn't cold-blooded murder like Adam wants me to believe, but still..."

"So it was him who called. I thought so based on your reaction," Abe said, calming a bit and sitting in the chair across from Henry. "What exactly did he say?"

"It doesn't matter," Henry said with a sigh, slouching and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"The hell it doesn't."

"Really Abraham! I'll ask you to mind your language please."

"Ah," Abe said with a humourless chuckle. "So you do remember who you are."

"What?" Henry demanded, confused by Abe's seeming nonsequitor.

"He taunted you that you'd murdered that man yes?" Abe said though, ignoring Henry's question.

"He said I'd done something I'd never done before tonight," Henry said, his brow still furrowed in confusion.

"Well he clearly doesn't know you as well as he thinks does he?"

"What do you mean?" Henry demanded, alarmed. "Abraham, he was referring to something he'd said a while ago about murder being just a part of life - a part of life I'd never done before!"

"And haven't done yet! And I've known you my entire life and if there's one thing I know beyond a shadow of doubt it's that it's not something you'll ever do no matter how long you live. You just aren't made that way."

"Abe, I didn't have to kill that man. I should have just... I thought he was Adam. If I'd known he was mortal I..."

"You what? Would have let him kill me?"

"What?! No!" Henry replied, sitting up, alarmed. "But I should have... I don't know. I should have tried to stop him without..."

"Who am I?" Abe asked.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Who am I?" Abe demanded again.

"Abe, you're Abe. What...?"

"Who Am I To YOU?" Abe demanded almost angrily. "DAD."

"Abe, what are you talking about?" Henry demanded leaning forward, confusion evident in his voice. "You're my son. You know I..."

"Right, and I may be sneaking up on 70, but you're still my father, and if that man had killed you, or gotten away from you, he'd have killed me in a heartbeat. Neither of us like to think about it much, but I'm no spring chicken, and there was nothing I could have done to defend myself from him if he'd come after me. That man was psychotic and wouldn't have stopped until you stopped him," Abe said, anger growing in his voice.

"So you tell me how you doing everything in your power to stop him, up to and including ending his life was anything other than doing your damn job as my FATHER!" Abe was steaming now, leaning forward himself even as Henry had fallen back against the back of the couch under the onslaught of Abe's words. 

"So stop it," Abe repeated. "Unless you're going to sit there and tell me you'd rather he'd have gotten past you to kill me than to have to kill him to protect me."

"Abraham no!" Henry cried, rushing over and pulling Abe up and into a bone crushing hug. "Nononononono! I called for you and you didn't answer and then he was here and I thought.... I thought... and then you came home and he heard you and was going to... I couldn't let him hurt you."

"I know, I know," Abe's voice was muffled, his face pressed against Henry's shoulder, but he clung to his father even so. 

"I'm sorry. You're right. There was nothing else I could have done. And I'd do it again to protect you. You know that right?" Henry demanded, pulling back and holding Abe at arms length so he could look into his eyes. "Anything."

"I know. So are you going to let the immortal psychopath mess with your head about this anymore?"

"No. No, you're right. I'm still not happy about what happened and I can't just be ok with it all, but I wouldn't undo it and risk your life. Not for a second."

"I wouldn't expect you to be happy about any of it. My father isn't perfect, but he's a good man with a good heart. So whenever you start hearing Adam's insane words, remember how wrong he is. Remember he'd have killed me, or arranged to have his mortal psycho friend kill me just to get at you. Don't let that ass get to you right?"

"Right. And you quit swearing so much all of a sudden. Let's not let this incident set a new precedent of poor language shall we?"

"And he's back. There's the Henry I know. Think you can sleep now because I'm exhausted."

"Yes, go on, I'll turn off the lights and be right behind you." And he would. Just as he'd told Jo a month or so ago, he'd allow himself to feel the shame, the sorrow, all of it. But not what Adam wanted him to feel. He'd remember Abe's words - Abe who meant more to him than all the world. Abe, his son who was somehow wiser for his short 70 years than Adam and he put together. It'd always be with him, but he'd survive.


End file.
